1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus.
2. Related Background Art
In an image forming apparatus which forms an image onto a sheet material, when the sheet material fed from a paper feed cassette or the like is conveyed in the image forming apparatus, there is a case where defective conveyance due to a paper jam, a slip of the sheet material, or the like (hereinafter, called a jam) occurs. When the jam occurs, since an image is not normally formed onto the sheet material, the operation of the image forming apparatus is stopped.
To restart the operation of the image forming apparatus in which the jam has occurred, it is necessary to remove the sheet material which becomes a cause of the jam and is staying in the image forming apparatus. However, to clear such a jam state, it is necessary for the user to open a cover provided for the image forming apparatus, remove the jammed sheet material, and thereafter, close the cover in a state where the sheet material does not stay in the image forming apparatus (for example, refer to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H02-182645). That is, since the cover provided for the image forming apparatus has been closed, it is regarded that the jammed sheet material in the image forming apparatus has been removed, and the operation of the image forming apparatus is restarted.
However, there is a case where it is not always necessary for the user to open the cover and remove paper in dependence on a type of jam.
For example, in the case where a paper feed roller to feed the sheet materials one by one from the paper feed cassette slips and cannot normally feed the sheet material and an abnormal state where the sheet material does not reach a sensor for detecting the presence or absence of the sheet material after the elapse of a predetermined time from the start of the paper feed by the paper feed roller occurs (hereinafter, such an abnormal state is referred to as a feed delay jam), or the like, although the sheet material can be conveyed and ejected to the outside of the image forming apparatus even if the user does not bother to open and close the cover of the image forming apparatus, it is necessary for the user to bother to open and close the cover in order to clear the jam state.